It's no secret of the dancers are among the greatest athletes out there, and they have some of the best bodies, as well. But can you get as fit as a dancer in your living room or den with one of the new interactive dance video games?
If you've been dancing with the stars and breaking a sweat, are you getting any fitter? Does it take the place of regular exercise? Will you get that dancer's body?
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has helped answer some of these questions.
Specifically they asked: Can a video game make your kids more fit? ACE then put Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to the test.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, focused on quantifying DDR's potential physical benefits and determined that it is comparable to many other aerobic activities and could result in significant weight loss if used regularly.
All subjects showed a significant increase in exercise intensity as they participated, with adults burning more overall calories than kids (based primarily on expected differences in body weight).
How much exercise did they actually get? According to ACE, the participants burned: 5.9 kcal/min on light mode (comparable to an easy walk on a treadmill), 6.7 kcal/min on standard mode (equivalent to riding a bike about 12 to 14 miles and hour) and 8.1 kcal/min on difficult mode (similar to the benefits obtained with high-impact aerobics). They used the Sony PlayStation version of the game for this particular study. You can get more information on the ACE website.
Obviously, different versions of this and other "interactive" games, especially those developed for use on the Nintendo Wii, have different potential levels of activity that one can experience.
Much depends on the level of intensity that the user provides. I have personally been impressed with the Wii. I've watched my kids in perpetual motion for hours at a time. Many of the games kept me moving as well, and they even offered some very basic fitness training and testing routines. I'm sure we'll see more of that.
Bottom line, it won't replace regular exercise any time soon but it sure beats sitting on the couch and being totally sedentary. I don't think you'll be seeing it in any upcoming Olympics, but you can experience a modest work out, while having fun, and enjoy the associated health benefits.
It also may have a place in activating certain diehard couch potatoes - both young and old. I have even witnessed, with my own patient population, that the appeal crosses a wide range of age groups from kids to their grandparents. They are enjoying this "movement" together.
I would encourage the video game industry to get even more creative in terms of activating our population. I believe the technology world in general has alot to offer in this regard and that we have only seen the beginning of a whole new positive use of technology for fitness and health.
Do you think these new video-active games, or as some have called them, "exergames," have a place in the world of exercise? What games would you like to see?